Hootsuite vs Sprout Social (2026): two per-seat team platforms
Both charge per user and target teams. Sprout's cheapest seat is cheaper but covers fewer profiles, and its API sits on the top plan.
Short answer
On paper Sprout Social's Essentials seat ($79 a month, annual) is cheaper than Hootsuite Standard ($99 a month, annual), but it covers 5 profiles against Hootsuite's 10. Teams that need API access should note that Sprout includes it only from the Advanced plan.
| Hootsuite | Sprout Social | |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $99 / user / mo | $79 / user / mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | Not listed | Not listed |
| Networks | 9 | 10 |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
| AI assistant | Yes | Yes |
| Fits | Agency, Enterprise | Agency, Enterprise |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| X | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| TikTok | Yes | Yes |
| YouTube | Yes | Yes |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Bluesky | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Google Business | No | Yes |
| Mastodon | No | No |
Pricing per seat
| Plan | Hootsuite (per user, annual) | Sprout Social (per user, annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Standard, $99, 10 accounts | Essentials, $79, up to 5 profiles |
| Middle | Professional, $199, unlimited accounts | Standard, $199, 5 profiles |
| Upper | Advanced, $399, unlimited accounts | Professional, $299, unlimited profiles |
| Top | Enterprise, custom | Advanced, $399, unlimited, includes API |
Sprout publishes month-to-month prices too: $99, $249, $399 and $499 per seat. Hootsuite says month-to-month billing exists but does not publish the price.
API access
Hootsuite has a public API. Sprout Social lists its API on the Advanced plan and Enterprise only.
Networks
Both cover the major networks. Sprout lists Google Business Profile. Hootsuite handles it through a separate app integration.
Who should choose which
- Hootsuite: teams with many accounts per person, where 10 accounts on the entry seat goes further.
- Sprout Social: teams that put analytics and customer care first and either need few profiles per seat or can afford the upper plans.